Bears and a waterfall

Luang Prabang Travel Blog

We took a trip out to Tat Kuang Si waterfalls with one of the many companies in town for 40,000 kip each. We arrived at the falls and were given 2 hours to have a look about. Cost 20,000 kip to get in and we walked along the path towards the falls.

First of all we came to the bear rescue centre, a sanctuary where several moon bears now live after being saved from poachers and other horrors. We watched the bears roam about for ages, read about them and the plight to save them. So many of these beautiful creatures are hunted out so that the Chinese can use their bile for 'medicine'. There are several bears at the sanctuary cared for by volunteers and a few ful time locals. There was a tiger here but she died in 2008 after a long illness. The bears have a few great enclosures with plenty to keep them occupied and lots of places to rest, including a hammock!!

We continued onto the waterfall, which started off with a big beautiful pool of turquoise water.

It looked so inviting but a toe dipped into the water was enough - it was freezing!

The next pool up was a popular pool with a rope swing from a tree. We watched as several people swung from the rope, flew in the air and deposited themselves into the water. The pools continued in various shapes and forms as we walked along the path next to them and them we came out at the waterfall. It was a fairly big cascade that ended in a pool at bottom surrounded in lush green.

On the way back through, we stopped to watch the bears in action again, one bear took a fancy to one of the tyres hanging in the enclosure while another bear dozed in the bear-size hammock. I couldn't help but to buy a t-shirt with bear paws on, the money going towards the bears.